Give Me One Good Reason
by Taylusia
Summary: Sirius Black has been raised with the intention of becoming a faithful servant to the Dark Lord. As Sirius grows older, however, he realizes life as a Death Eater would not suit him morally. But is he capable of turning against his family?
1. Dressed Up as Myself

**This chapter is named after a line from All Time Low's "Sick Little Games"**

There was that familiar sound: Mrs. Black, shrieking from the first floor of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. No doubt she was upset about something ridiculous that Kreacher would tend to with faithful haste. As expected, small feet pattered past the door to the Family Tree room and bounded down the stairs, followed by Kreacher's mumbles of "I'm sorry, Mistress" and Mrs. Black's continued screams of rage.

Within the Family Tree room, gazing upon his many family members strewn about the walls and interconnected on various branches stood a tall, well-built, tan boy of about seventeen. Dark shaggy hair shrouded his face, which seemed to be devoid of laughter, but otherwise good-looking, with high cheekbones and a prominent chin. His dark brown eyes, almost black and flecked with gold, seemed to go on forever, housing his secrets and adding to his mystery. These features had not escaped the notice of almost every female at his school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The racket downstairs, which had reached a brief lull, once again assaulted Sirius Black's eardrums and he sighed deeply while running his fingers through his thick, dark hair. Everything about Sirius was dark, from his hair to his eyes, from his name to his family history. The Blacks were notorious Death Eaters, and every single one of them had been raised with firm loyalty to the Dark Lord and an intense hatred of anything Muggle-related.

Sirius was the black sheep of the Blacks however (no pun intended). He was very good at playing his part, at appearing to be agreeable to his family and their Death Eating ways. In reality, he was about as far from his portrayed character as possible. He despised everything his family stood for, everything they believed in, everything he had been taught. The Dark Lord disgusted him as did anything remotely related to the Dark Arts. It was Sirius's deepest desire to deny his family ties and run away. He'd been toying with the idea for many years now, but it wasn't until this summer that he'd begun to seriously plan. He already knew he would be welcomed with open arms at his best friend, James Potter's house. The only thing holding him back was the fact that denying his family would mean certain death at the hands of the Dark Lord. And on top of that, it would be disappointing his entire family: his mother would be devastated, his brother, Regulus, shamed, his cousins, Bella and Cissy, distraught. His mother's rage was wicked to behold, as the continued din below exemplified. Regulus, whose goal in life was nothing more than to join the ranks of the Death Eaters and serve alongside them faithfully, would surely not aid Sirius in his attempt to escape. Narcissa was younger, and Sirius had never really got on well with her, so she wouldn't be much of a loss, but a loss nonetheless. Bellatrix would perhaps be the most devastated; she would also be the worst loss to Sirius when family ties were cut. Oddly enough, Sirius had become close to Bella over the years. She was a year older than him, but they were the troublemakers of the family, and their relationship had grown from that common trait. But they had one major difference: Bella was already plotting ways to be accepted into the ranks of Death Eaters, excitedly awaiting the day she could carry out the Dark Lord's bidding. Because of this, she couldn't be trusted to confide his plans in. Even still, when Sirius was putting on his charade and fooling his family, he and Bella got along famously. He often found himself forgetting that she was a pre-Death Eater and that their friendship would soon come to an abrupt end. Just thinking of it now left him with an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He traced her name fondly on the family tree and followed the branch further along until his finger collided with the name "Andromeda". He smiled, the pain in his stomach evaporating into the warmer feeling of friendship he always got when he thought about Andromeda. While not quite as fun to be around as Bella, her sister, Andromeda was just as close to Sirius, simply because they had much more in common. On a simplistic level, they were in the same grade, and they hung around with the same group of people (Andromeda, while in Slytherin, was dating Ted Tonks, a Gryffindor; this fact remained unbeknownst to Bella or Cissy). On a more mature level, they both despised their ancestry and wished to break free of their binds to the Death Eaters. Sirius hadn't yet confided his full plan of running away to her just yet, but he knew he would have her support. Smirking to himself, he realized she'd probably be jealous.

"Sirius!" He whirled around to see an exuberant smile and shining chestnut brown curls hurtling towards him.

"Bella!" He embraced her in a hug, his own smile tainted by the knowledge of what he was planning.

"I've been down at that ridiculously dull party for ages! Why didn't you come save me?!" She playfully pouted and pulled out her wand with a mischievous smile. "Well never mind that now I suppose. Let's go spice things up shall we?" Her eyes twinkled, kindled with the light of adventure. Sure, it was just a family party, which happened regularly for the Black clan, but for Bella, it was a chance to prove herself as a prankster.

As if on cue, another brilliant young witch stepped into the room to save Sirius the trouble of answering. "Hey Andromeda!" Gratefully, he gathered her into a hug and whispered inconspicuously into her slightly frizzy brown curls, "Ted sends his best." She nodded subtly to acknowledge this bit of information, but as they pulled away, he could see she was struggling to hide the smile that was hanging on her cheeks. "Hey Sirius, I've been looking everywhere for you. That Kreacher isn't very helpful, he just mumbled something about "disgrace to the Black name." Andromeda's brow wrinkled in her mock confusion. "Yep, he's been saying that for seven years! Damn that hat for choosing Gryffindor." Sirius winked back.

"I always said that absurd hat made a mistake." Bella had stowed her wand now, her icy demeanor chilling the room. "Ah, well, Sirius, I must be going, Rodolphus will be looking for me." And with a curt nod, she swept from the room.

"Evidently I'm intruding." Andromeda sighed and collapsed into the ancient dark green armchair in the corner.

"Quite all right, I didn't feel like making a ruckus at the moment anyways. Not much of a loss." Sirius sank into the chair next to her, causing puffs of dust to escape the cushions. Those lucky puffs of dust, so simply freed….

"What? You? Not make trouble?" Andromeda's eyes widened, her genuine shock aided by her love of sarcasm.

"Yea, I'm in a bit more serious mood at the moment. I'm planning something, Dromeda. And to tell you the truth, I'm terrified of it." With a wave of his wand, the door slammed shut. Andromeda sat up straight, intrigue coloring her cheeks and sparkling in her eyes.

"What is it Sirius?"

"I'm going to run away. James says I can stay there and I have everything planned, I can leave whenever I get up the nerve, I have everything packed, and I only have one year left at Hogwarts anyways, and then the Death Eaters will come recruiting and I've got to get away before then Dromeda, I've just got to, don't you see?" He gulped a breath of air, panting from the pent up emotion. Slowly, he began again. "Dromeda, I'm not meant to be this. I don't have to be like them. Neither do you. We see the light, we don't need to be swallowed by this darkness. You need to come too, Dromeda. You are not a Death Eater. We've always been different. It's time to be free of these binds."

Andromeda's fear was clear in her eyes. "Sirius….You know I can't do that. I'm not going to tell you not to go, that would be pointless, and really, I wish I could go with you, but my family…."

"You think I haven't considered that Dromeda? I've spent countless nights sitting up, thinking about how Bella, and Cissy and Regulus and dear old mum would react. There's no way around it. The choice stands: family or what is right. I choose what is right." Sirius's stare held no trace of joking and seemed to penetrate Andromeda's very soul. "Sirius, you go. And I support you completely and wish you good luck but…I can't." And with that, Andromeda left the room, the color rising in her cheeks, tears threatening to spill.

Sirius had thought confiding in Andromeda would make this issue simpler, but in fact, it had done just the opposite. Even she would choose family above all else. Was he being bold or reckless? His internal war raged:

_Family. No, do what's right. But it's your family. But it's a matter of right and wrong. There's a fine line between the right and the real, Sirius._


	2. Alone in a Crowded Room

**This chapter is named after a line from Jack's Mannequin's "Dark Blue"**

**Also, I am aware that Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa and Sirius did not attend Hogwarts during the same time period, but for the sake of this story, they do(: It draws heavily from Marteczka's Quill's story "Forgive Me, I Inherited This" and therefore, the details must match. **

Sirius rubbed his eyes wearily. His internal war was beating at his skull, _family_ jousting _good_ and _evil_ sitting comfortably watching, shrouded in its always-morphing definition. He stumbled to his feet, deciding to rejoin his family and put off rebellion at least for the moment. His feet heavily thudded down the stairs, torn between the desire to seclude himself in his room and the obligation to socialize. Reaching the foot of the stars, Sirius looked to his left, down the dark, ominous hallway. He had a perfect view of the kitchen where Aunt Druella and Mum were cooking up multiple potions. Undoubtedly all fatal, he thought to himself. Straight ahead was another equally dark hallway that branched off into several rooms. His own house reminded him of a maze. A maze that trapped him and laughed at his attempts to free himself. Heading straight, he peeked into the first room and caught a glimpse of a nauseatingly intertwined Lucius Malfoy and Cissy. Hurriedly, he poked into the next room, a bit further down and thankfully, found just who he was looking for. "Bella! I wondered where you'd run off too," He flashed her his one-of-a-kind, make-you-melt smile, complete with dazzlingly bright teeth. Clearly still stung by the earlier snub, she made a noncommittal noise of acknowledgement. "Bellaaaaa," Sirius wheedled. "Where's Rodolphus?" His attempt at small talk fell flat. Her eyes burned him as she replied "He's busy. No doubt tending to some Mudblood. Nevertheless, he's won't be attending this wonderful family function."

Sirius swallowed his revulsion at how casually Bella could throw around such foul and offensive language and assumed his best Black persona. "And Regulus? Where's he run off to?"

"Kitchen with Mum and your mum." She seemed to be tired of the freeze out, because she turned excitedly to Sirius and wickedly exclaimed, "You live near Muggles, yes? Let's go play with em!"

Sirius thought fast. "Um, how bout we chuck some stink bombs in the potions? That's sure to cause commotion!" His idea was lame, but it was all he had.

"Come now, Sirius, that's kid stuff. We need to think bigger. Stink bombs aren't going to catch the Dark Lord's attention. How do you ever expect to join the Death Eaters with childish pranks such as those?" It was one of the rare moments where Bellatrix exuded her elderly attitude. She didn't often treat Sirius like a child and it always irritated him when she reverted back to this 'respect your elders' nonsense. A sudden whim took hold of Sirius and he couldn't seem to shake it. It was a possibility he had always overlooked because it seemed so _impossible _but maybe…?

"Bella?" Sirius began sheepishly.

"Yes dear Sirius," Bella nonchalantly twirled her wand around her fingers, emitting small clouds of smoke or menacing sparks every so often. "Well, have you ever considered…well, _not_ becoming a Death Eater?" He braced himself for the explosion but it was not enough to save him from the rage that ensued.

"WHAT? _Not become a Death Eater?"_ Bella hissed at Sirius, her piercing gaze once again fixed on him, which he quailed under. "Sirius, you cannot mean that. Tell me you haven't considered such an absurdity?"

"No of course not, Bella." He lied through his gleaming teeth.

"Then do not ever let anyone hear you speak of that again. People could misunderstand, the Dark Lord could catch wind of such frivolous comments. Oh my. Don't ever say such things. It is an honor to be chosen to become a Death Eater and you need to comprehend that. If you, I, Regulus, Cissy and even Dromeda don't all become Death Eaters in the Dark Lord's innermost circle, I'll be shocked. The Blacks have always been trusted servants of the Dark Lord and I don't see why that should end with our generation. No Sirius, I have never once considered my life taking me on any other path than the one that leads to initiation as a Death Eater."

Bellatrix concluded her rant and with that final statement, Sirius knew he no longer had anything in common with her. Sadly, his favorite cousin had become a stranger and even worse, he could foresee the enmity that would eventually consume their relationship. But he could no longer pretend to be this person he was not, he could no longer stand by his family's bizarre vision of what was right and what was wrong. And with or without Dromeda, he was leaving.

But this conversation had also robbed him of his last small hope. His last hope that Bella would see things from his perspective, and would agree that life without the Dark Lord would be ideal. Bella had always been his favorite relative, for reasons even he didn't comprehend and it saddened him to think of life without her.

"Sirius?" Bella called him out of his reverie. "Yea Bella, I'm just trying to think of something we can do to liven up this party," He forced a chuckle. A devilish grin took hold of Bellatrix's face and she beckoned him forward. "I've got an idea." She motioned for Sirius to follow her. He did as he was told and watched as she scooped a giant spider, about tarantula-size , from behind the ancient cabinet that was in the room with them. She held her finger to her lips and whipped out her wand. "_Imperio"_ she whispered, her wand jabbing the spider with unnecessary force. The spider shuddered once and became a slave to her command. She allowed it to drop to the floor and scuttle out of the room. Sirius and Bella tiptoed behind it as it reached the room that currently housed Lucius and Cissy. Bella poked her head through the doorway, indicating that Sirius should as well. The spider made it's way up the side of the armchair the couple were so busy on, and found its way onto Narcissa's shoulder. With an earsplitting scream, Narcissa leapt of the couch and convulsed several times. Bella flicked her wand and the spider moved accordingly; it began to dance a jig on top of Cissy's head while a shocked Lucius looked on. Bella and Sirius fought to contain their laughter; Sirius had never been all that close with Narcissa and he despised Lucius. "Alright, I think Narcissa's had enough fun for one day," Bella's whisper was carried down to Sirius. "_Avada Kedavra!_" she cackled as the spider dropped to the floor, dead and shriveled. Astonished, Sirius couldn't tear his gaze away until the form of Narcissa obstructed his view.

"Think that's funny do you? You little skeez, get out of here!" And with that, Narcissa pushed Sirius backward into the hall. Looking around, he realized Bella had left him to fend for himself, obviously fleeing before she could be caught. Grumbling, he picked himself up off the floor and walked to the front door of the Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. He had had quite enough of his family for one evening. With no inkling of where he was going, he stepped out into the fading afternoon sun.


	3. Feeling This

**This chapter is named after blink-182's "Feeling This"**

He turned on the spot and thought of a forest, any forest, so long as it was somewhat near home. He concentrated with all his might and felt himself undergo the sensation of being pushed through a small rubber tube. When he opened his eyes, the sun's rays were casting a friendly glow through the trees as he stood in a clearing. He didn't care that he had no idea where he was, instead he was thankful for it. He was glad for the change of scenery, and by not knowing where he was, that meant there was an extremely slight possibility that anyone else would be able to find him either. He sank to the earthen ground and hugged his bright, plaid flannel shirt tighter around him. His mother would yell at him later for the soil stains on his dark blue jeans, but for now, he didn't care. Above him, the blue sky was being enveloped in pinks and purples and the ever present orange of the vibrant sun. It was therapeutic to stare at the brilliant sky and not have to worry about right or wrong or family.

"Ehm." A small cough sounded from the recesses of the dark trees. Suddenly, the forest didn't seem quite so friendly. It occurred to Sirius that he hadn't been careful enough, that anyone could be waiting among those shadows. It was a mark of how warped his upbringing had been that he hoped it was a Death Eater.

Grasping his wand within his pocket, he called into the forest, "Who's there?" His voice did not betray him; on the contrary, it sounded deep and brave. Emboldened by this realization, he commanded "Show yourself." His voice rang throughout the clearing, yet no one seemed to be there. Just when he was starting to think he'd made up the entire situation, the bushes to his left rustled. He whipped around to face it just as a petite girl emerged. She was small in stature, much shorter than one would expect for her age, and thin. Her blonde hair caught the last rays of the setting sun and fell in wild yet smooth waves down her back. Her wrists were covered in colorful bracelets and silver dog tags jingled around her neck. She wore dark jeans and a loose fitting, long-sleeved white shirt. Her blue eyes were accentuated by the dark eyeliner and long eyelashes. Sirius wasn't sure how to respond to the sudden unexpected presence of this girl.

"Hey, I didn't mean to scare you. I just found it odd that a random kid would want to nap in the middle of a muddy forest." Her joke seemed to thaw him.

"Well, I never denied my oddity." He smiled back at her and her interest was sparked.

"Really? How odd?" She approached him, though still at a distance as if she wasn't sure if she could trust him.

"Pretty strange. Now, how did a little thing like you end up so deep in a forest so late at night? Not very safe, I'd say."

Her eyes narrowed at his mention of 'little.' "Just because I'm short doesn't mean I'm incapable of handling myself, thank you."

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that, I assure you. I was only wondering why you were wandering a forest?" Sirius attempted to backtrack.

"Well, if you must know, I come here to think. And it is actually _you_ who are intruding. I live right up the bend there." She indicated the direction she lived with a vague wave.

"I never implied you were intruding, dear." He grinned. He couldn't help it. There was something about this girl that had caught his interest. Maybe it was her temper, maybe it was her sarcasm, maybe it was the fact that she was so small, yet so loud in personality. He didn't know. All he knew was that he found himself wanting to know her. "Now, dear, come tell me about yourself." He held out his hand to her and she took it, eyeing him quizzically. They sat down in the middle of the clearing, facing each other, the depth of her clear blue eyes matching the depth of his dark brown ones. She seemed to decide it was okay to speak, because she leaned back on her hands and began to talk.

"What would you like to know? I'm just an ordinary girl, living in this ordinary world, nothing special nothing more. I do nurse a soft spot for Shakespeare and I have an unhealthy obsession with music. I need to break free of my family, and quick. Anything else you'd like to know?" Her eyes twinkled playfully as she watched him absorb her short monologue.

"We have similarities. I too feel the need to break free of my family, and the sooner the better. Now explain to me this 'unhealthy music obsession'?"

For the next hour, he sat at rapt attention, listening to her every word as she explained her love of all that was musical, from bands to lyrics to instruments. She walked him through the analysis of her favorite songs and how she wished she had the ability to write songs (at which point he encouraged her to try) "…And I would just love to play drums!" She finished, flushed with excitement. "Or guitar. Or both! Oh god, look at the time, my parents are gonna kill me! Sorry, I didn't catch your name?" She gazed at him, her eyes still somehow glittering in the dark. "Sirius," he responded, dumbfounded. "And yours?"

"You can find out tomorrow. Six o'clock. Here. Goodnight, Sirius." She waved at him and retreated through the bushes the way she had come.

Stunned, Sirius sat in the clearing, watching the spot where this mystery girl had just been. The fact that he didn't know her name was eating at him from the insides and he couldn't wait to meet her again tomorrow. She must be a Muggle; the direction she had indicated when asked where she lived was a completely Muggle-inhabited village. This presented an entirely new problem. He could never be completely honest with her, never tell her about the true problems that were plaguing his life. And, to be quite honest, that's all he had wanted to do throughout their conversation. There was something about her that made him want to open up to her and even ask her what her opinion was. He vaguely wondered whether she would choose family or if she would listen to her internal compass. It suddenly became the most important thing in the world to know what she would choose. Dejectedly, he sat up, preparing to return to the chaos that was the Black household. The evident sadness on his face was a product of the realization that he would never be able to find out the answer to this burning question. Sure, he could ask her hypothetical questions and seemingly made-up scenarios, but he could never find out for sure. Muggles just wouldn't understand the severity of the situation. Turning on the spot, he Disapparated back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Mrs. Black was once again shrieking, her screams reverberating through the streets, yet the Muggles that lived on either side of the dark house seemed not to notice. Poor, unobservant Muggles. Sirius shook his head and resigned himself to rejoining the party.

"Sirius where were you? We missed you at the party, and now we're just about to leave!" Aunt Druella drawled from the kitchen. Bella pouted, standing just inside the door. Andromeda peeked around her and Narcissa trailed behind her sisters. Aunt Druella strolled down the hall, appearing from the kitchen, followed by Mrs. Black and her faithful Kreacher.

"I apologize, Aunt Druella, I will definitely make an appearance at the next party." Sirius was having much more difficulty putting on his charade with the thoughts of the mysterious girl from the forest nagging at him. His smile was forced and fake and he knew it was obvious. He caught sight of Andromeda and her concern was clear. Her eyes seemed to ask him what was wrong, and he dearly wished he could confide in her, or Bella, but now was not the time. He exchanged hugs with Bella and Narcissa and finally Dromeda, to which he whispered, "Tomorrow, Leaky Cauldron, we'll talk." Again, she nodded subtly and followed her sisters out of the house, each turning on the spot, evaporating into thin air. Druella nodded at him coldly, her unruffled demeanor not allowing hugs. Mrs. Black glared at Sirius, a sure sign that it was time to retire to his bedroom.


	4. Whoever She Is

**This chapter is named after the Maine's "Whoever She Is"**

"Dromeda, over here." Sirius muttered from the darkest corner of the Leaky Cauldron, beckoning to his confused cousin. "Ah, didn't see you there. My apologies for being late, I've only just gotten away from Dolohov." She rolled her eyes and disgust colored her face.

"Oh that bugger. I'm sure he just wanted to play kissy face." Smirked Sirius.

"You know that's not funny. That boy simply won't leave me alone! I finally invented some excuse about catching up on some reading, which obviously he took no interest in. Anyhow, why are we here? What's going on Sirius?" she casually leaned back in her uncomfortable wooden chair, waiting for Sirius to explain what was so dire.

"I've met a girl. And not just any girl. She's amazing, and her eyes glitter and she seems to be quite rebellious, but poised at the same time, and I've never quite met anyone so mysterious…." He trailed off, thoughts of the possibilities of their later meeting clouding his mind.

"Sounds like I'm not the one who's been playing kissy face," It was Andromeda's turn to smirk. "What's her name?"

"Erm, well, see, that's part of her mystery. She wouldn't say. She told me to meet her again tonight and then she'd tell me." Sirius realized how lame and made-up his story sounded, but plowed on anyways.

"Well, I suppose if you want to do this the right way, you'll have to bring her home to your mum, and of course Bella will want to put her through all sorts of rigorous tests to prove she's worthy. My mum and Cissy won't care of course-"

"I can't do that, Dromeda." Sirius interrupted, impatient to get to the point that had been worrying him all day. "She's a Muggle."

"Sirius, oh no. You can't drag this poor girl into our family issues. And you would be causing so much trouble for yourself! A Muggle is worse than a Mudblood-"

Again Sirius interrupted her. "Don't use that language around me, Andromeda." His piercing glare and fierce tone quieted Andromeda at once.

"I didn't…I only meant…." She trailed off and stared sheepishly at the knots in the wood table.

"I really like this girl. She's brilliant in so many ways. I even…well….I even considered telling her what I am." It was Sirius's turn to trace the knotholes.

"Come now, Sirius. It's one thing to become involved, but it's another completely risk the exposure of our world. You can't tell her you're a wizard." Andromeda stated it as fact, rather than opinion.

"She's different, Dromeda. She'd understand." Andromeda stared at her cousin, shocked by his out-of-character seriousness. This girl must mean a lot to him. "Have you told James?"

"Not yet, I haven't spoken to him in ages. Mum checks the post, or rather she makes that useless git Kreacher check it. How I'd like to give that thing a kick." He kicked the wooden table leg and Andromeda giggled. "Did you say you were meeting her at six? You'd better go or you'll be late, as usual." She fixed him with a pointed stare.

"Nah, love I'm always fashionably late and everyone else is just early." He winked at her and stood. "Thanks for the vent session, Dromeda. Ah look, there's Dolohov." He chuckled as she ducked for cover. "Only kidding cuz! See ya!" And with that, he found himself staring about the clearing he had just visited yesterday. He was clearly alone and he sank down on the compacted dirt, still pondering whether or not to be honest with this girl.

The bushes rustled and Sirius instinctively grasped his wand. But it was only her, emerging from the bushes, a vision of his wildest dreams in her simple white tank top, denim shorts and brown boots. _She's trouble in a tank top,_ Sirius thought to himself. Today, her golden hair was pin straight and pulled back into a messy ponytail which only added to her rebellious aura. In addition, her bright eyes were heavily contrasted with smoky dark blue shadow, lined sharply at the edges and with a hint of sparkle. He drank her appearance in, momentarily stuck for conversation.

"Your late," He pointed out the obvious, but complimented the blunt statement with a charming smile.

"No, I'm always on time. You're early." She replied coolly, sinking down next to him. "Alright, I did all the talking yesterday. It's your turn, Mr. Sirius. Tell me about yourself." She cocked her head to the side and rays of fading sun framed her face.

"Not so fast Miss Mystery. I don't even know your name. You first."

She merely bit her lip and shook her head. "Don't think so. It's your night."

"Twenty questions?" He tried. She consented to the compromise. Without waiting to be asked a question, she interrogated him. "What's your last name?"

"Black. What's your name? Full name." He clarified.

"Black. Hm, common name I suppose. Funny, I haven't heard of you. My name's Auriola Commissi. Don't laugh, I'm Italian." She answered his raised eyebrows. "Where are you from?"

"Over there a ways," Sirius vaguely chose a direction. "Neither here nor there, it's a matter of lesser importance. Now Auriola," He stopped there, turning her name over on his tongue, enjoying how it sounded.

"Yes?" She prompted. It was comical to see such a petite girl so impatient. He laughed his bark-like laugh and continued, "Why do you want to get away from your family?"

"Well, it's difficult to put into words but basically, I'm sick of their expectations. I'm sick of not being able to live my life the way I choose to and not being able to embrace who I truly am and be my own person. My family is against anything that I believe in. They put me down without even realizing it…They don't see what they've done…" She trailed off, a hard, blazing look in her eyes. "But no matter, I will become my own person, in spite of them. What about you, why do you feel the need to rush off on your own? "

Sirius had been waiting for this moment. "Let me ask you something, do you have any family ties? Are they important to you in any way?" He waited for her answer patiently while she thought it over. "Well yes, I suppose so. They are my family after all. Like it or not, they love me and they are important to me."

"And if it came choosing your family or doing what is right, how would you go about deciding?" His question posed, he waited with bated breath.

"I don't follow," her voice held an unfamiliar delicate tone. "It would depend on the situation. The severity, I guess you could say. Are we talking about stealing a box of plastic spoons or murdering puppies? On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the situation?"

Surprised by her reaction, Sirius answered instantly. "Four hundred and twelve."

"Well, then I would must definitely choose doing what is right. No family is worth that." She laid back on the soil, apparently not caring about the stains that would result from it. Night had fallen and the sky was blazing with stars. "The stars are really pretty, don't you think? Don't you ever wish the sky could just swallow you up? It's so huge, so infinite. I just want to be infinite. Sirius?"

"I could get lost in a voice like yours, dear. Yes?" He hadn't intended to verbally state his thoughts quite so baldly, but he decided he didn't care. "Nothing, I just like saying your name. So tell me something interesting about yourself."


	5. Pretty Little Timebomb

**This chapter is named after a line from All Time Low's "Lost in Stereo"**

**Hey, I'd appreciate reviews if you have anything to say(: I hope there's at least someone out there that shares mine and Martha's appreciation for Sirius Black! **

Sirius thought about all the things he could say: For one, "I'm a wizard" would do quite well. Or "My family likes to kill innocent people." Or "I can turn into a large shaggy dog on free will." Instead he went with, "My best friends and I are called the Marauders at our school." He didn't know why this particular fact stuck out to him but it did and he chose to tell her that.

She laughed loudly into the night. "What?? Why would you be called that!?" She couldn't seem to stop laughing and Sirius launched into a long explanation of how his three best friends and him caused havoc at their "boarding school" and were notorious troublemakers. She was intrigued by each description, and eagerly begged to meet them. "Come on, there's a party I want to go to, and they would fit right in. And James seems quite the crack-up. Call them and tell them to meet us at the party! Oh, but maybe leave out this Peter fellow, he seems like a rat."

Sirius didn't know what to say to this suggestion. "Would that mean that you and I are going to the party together?" Sirius didn't know why he lost his usually cool demeanor when he was around her, but for some reason a quirky side of himself he had never known came out around her.

"Sure, Black, I guess I'd allow you to accompany me to said party." She winked. "So?" She looked at him inquiringly and he remembered he was supposed to be calling James and Remus. "Um, one sec." He retreated into the forest and when he thought he'd gone far enough, he concentrated very hard on his best friend and opened his eyes to a view of James's house. "James!" He hissed up to the topmost window. His best friend's exuberant face shone in the window for a second before it disappeared, and pounding feet shattered the night's silence.

"Padfoot! Mate! Where've you been all my life? Oh I've missed you so!" James pounced on Sirius and pretended to cover him in thousands of slobbery kisses.

"Prongs! Geroff me! We've got a party to get to! A Muggle party. You know how those Muggle girls appreciate your magic tricks." Sirius winked.

"Yes, yes, almost like real magic, I've been told." James winked back. "You gonna get Moony or should I?"

"I'm a lazy git, you go." James rolled his eyes and ruffled his shaggy black hair that stuck up at odd angles. And suddenly he was gone. Several seconds later, he reappeared with a pop, dragging with him a very confused looking shabby young wizard.

"I should've known you'd be the cause of this Padfoot. Where there's one of you, the other's sure to follow. " Remus, obviously ruffled, smiled a weary grin and endured a few friendly punches from the other two boys.

"We're gonna party hard tonight, boys." James grinned broadly. "Where is said party Padfoot?" He turned to Sirius with mock politeness. Sirius offered his arm, which both boys took hold of eagerly. He concentrated hard on the forest, concentrated hard on the vivid face of Auriola. The trio popped into existence a small ways away from the clearing. Sirius indicated for the other two to follow him and he made his way back to the clearing, keen to be back to Auriola.

"Wow, that was quick," She popped up from her relaxed position on the ground. "Hi, I'm Auriola, pleasure to meet you. Let me guess, you're James, the witty troublemaker." She eyed James as he swept into a curtsy. "Oh but of course. I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of you, which is a shame really. You would have thought Sirius would have mentioned someone so brilliantly gorgeous." James gently took her hand and brushed his lips across it flirtatiously. Sirius's disgruntled expression did not go unnoticed by either James or Auriola.

"And that makes you Remus Lupin, the intelligent and logical one, if I'm not mistaken." She stated it as a fact rather than a question and withdrew her hand from James'.

"Indeed I am, nice to meet you. I'm afraid I haven't heard of you either?" Remus searched Sirius's face for some clue as to the identity of this new presence, but it was Auriola who answered.

"Black, I am offended. But then again, we did only meet yesterday. I suppose I haven't made an impression yet?" She mocked innocence.

"On the contrary. James, Remus, this is Auriola. We met yesterday and she asked me to meet up again today, because she evidently can't go twenty-four hours without me. I'm quite intoxicating in that way, I know. No need to be ashamed." He winked at Auriola, his flirtatiously clever demeanor sliding back into place now that he was backed by his very best friends. They chuckled and Auriola smiled smoothly.

"I was under the impression that it was you who could not withstand a minute without my presence. It was also you, if I remember correctly, that stumbled over your words, rushing to find out if you were my date to the party tonight." Remus and James collapsed into laughter; it was rare that their friend was outdone in the wit department. This new development also offered boundless possibilities for later teasing.

Sirius struggled to come up with a worthy response, but could only finish lamely with, "Let's get going to the party then shall we?"

"If you're done trying to impress your friends, then yes, I suppose we can get going." She held out her hand as a peace offering, a sort of apology which Sirius gladly accepted. Their fingers interlocked and Sirius felt that her hand fit his perfectly as no one else's ever had or would. She squeezed his hand, causing electric chills to ripple through his body, and led the way out of the clearing. James caught on to Sirius's other hand and grabbed hold of Remus's. When Sirius shot him a questioning stare, James responded, "Sorry Padfoot, I thought you and Aurie were making a train." His toothy grin sent Remus and James into another bout of laughter, encouraged by Sirius's hiss of "Nitwit" as he pulled his hand away.

They trudged through the forest for several long minutes before the thump of music became audible. Auriola pulled out of Sirius's grasp and ran the last few steps to the brightly lit house, pulsing with music.

_Lookin like a tramp, like a video vamp,_

_Demolition woman, can I be your man?_

Sirius wasn't sure what to do, lost in this chaotic Muggle world without a guide. He glimpsed Auriola as she slipped through a crowd of people and into the packed house. James pushed past Sirius and followed, his eyes already spying prizes. "Hello ladies, do you like card tricks?" He appealed to a group of girls sitting on the porch railing, whose eyes indulged in James's shaggy hair and attractive jaw line.

Remus, the shyest of the group, stuck by Sirius, but Sirius was only interested in finding Auriola. _That girl_ _is always running off unexpectedly!_ He thought to himself exasperatedly.

A flash of bright white caught his eye: her tank top. He turned in the direction he had seen it and followed her into the hallway and a much less crowded den branching off from that.

"Martha!" Auriola seemed to announce to the room. "Martha!" Sirius searched the room, but no one seemed to take any notice of Auriola's calls. Other than Auriola, Sirius and Remus, in the room there was a group of boys in the corner, watching Sirius very obviously and a couple in the corner passionately interlocked. Auriola was gazing amusedly at the couple leading Sirius to believe that the tall brunette with long cascading waves down her back to be Martha. Auriola marched right up to the couple and tapped them both on the shoulders. Looking dazed, their lips released each other and Martha impatiently asked, "What do you want, you nasty bugger?" Upon seeing Auriola however, her face was eclipsed with a smile and they embraced, Auriola on her tiptoes and Martha bending down. "Aurie! Sorry, I was a bit distracted," At this comment, she made a gesture to the tall, extremely good-looking boy she had left in the corner. His sweet, yet distinct face offered dark eyes and long, disheveled-just-the-right-amount hair, that covered one of his eyes slightly. Sirius found himself wondering if this man was sizing himself up as well, but it seemed the man had eyes only for Martha.

"I see that," Auriola offered her characteristic wink and leaned around Martha to address the man. "Nice to see you again, Derek." Derek smiled and nodded towards Sirius, who was standing awkwardly surveying the scene. "Who've you brought with you?"

"Oh, this is Sirius. He's been stalking me. A bit like a lost puppy I suppose. Black, this is my best friend Martha and her means of oxygen, woops, I mean boyfriend Derek Sanders." Derek and Sirius exchanged a firm handshake, which seemed to relax them both enough to allow amiable smiles.

"Well hello! Aren't you attractive?" Martha grinned warmly at Sirius, who was slowly becoming acclimated to the party, the music winding its way through his veins and the atmosphere becoming welcoming.

"I've been told," he smirked.

"Hm, almost as self-assured as our Aurie here. You guys will make a great couple. Well, if you'd excuse us…" Martha trailed off as her lips became occupied with other activities and Derek's arms swept her close.

"Couple? Um, no, no we're not a couple. Really." For the first time since Sirius had met her, Auriola seemed to be fumbling for words. She rushed from the room, blush coloring her cheeks. He followed swiftly, only stopping briefly to wonder where Remus had wandered off to. "Aurie!" He hurried after her, as she wound her way through crowds and up various staircases; the house was larger than it appeared. He ducked into every room on the top floor, searching for her bright eyes or witty mouth, which would undoubtedly make some sort of comment about him following her. He found her in the third room on the floor, standing in the night air out on a balcony.

"Aurie?" He hoped his charming grin would make up for whatever had caused her to sweep out of the den so unceremoniously. She remained quiet and stiff. After Sirius was sure she was going to continue ignoring him, she spoke calmly and slowly, as if weighing her words. "I'm not usually so open. I despise vulnerability." The wind took hold of her hair.

"Aurie, I'm not sure what you mean. You're not being vulnerable-?"

"Sirius, I've never been quite so blunt with anyone before. I've been completely open with you. I don't often trust anyone. That girl you just met, Martha, well I trust her, and that's about it. I don't allow anyone else into the confines of my mind. Who knows what they would do with that sort of information? They could tear me down from the inside out." She turned to face Sirius. "I just hope you know how privileged you are," Her usual joking self resituated itself. On an impulse, Sirius leaned down, his lips searching for hers, this moment too perfect to let slip away. He closed his eyes, eagerly awaiting a sort of magic that couldn't be performed using a wand or enchantment.

To his dismay, he was met with only a giggle. His eyes flew open to find Auriola leaning away from him, against the wooden railing of the balcony. Sirius leaned away as well, looking out over the forest and ruffling his unkempt hair awkwardly to disguise his embarrassment.

"You're not gonna get me that easily, Black. Nah, you keep trying." Another wink and flip of her hair and she was gone. "See you tomorrow, Black. Six o'clock." She called from down the hallway. Stunned, Sirius stared after her. Not once in his whole life had a girl refused to kiss him. Not once in his whole life had Sirius had to work to make a girl swoon. At Hogwarts, he could evoke that sort of reaction simply by walking down the halls. This girl, this Auriola, this mystery girl from the forest clearing, was alone immune to his charm. And because of that, he was going to stop at nothing to charm her.


End file.
